Process of refining oil



(No Model.) v

R. J. WILSON.

PROCESS OF REFINING OILi No. 379,090. Patented r. 6 1888.

Q fi ll WITNESSES //vv/vr0/?, I M Z I I 4 ATTORNEYS,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. WILSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF REFINING OIL.-

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,090, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed March 1, 1886. Serial No. 193,630. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. WILsoN, a

citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Refining Oil; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, in which the figure is a side view of my apparatus, a portion of the still being cut away to more clearly show the arrangement of the hot-air pipes.

This invention has relation to a method and apparatus for refining crude oil, and has for its object to provide meanswhereby oil may be refined in a more thorough and inexpensive manner than has been heretofore possible.

I This invention consists in the provision of an apparatus for the refining of crude oils, in which highly heated air is the only agent employed in the separation of the several constituents of the oil.

This invention further consists in the provision of means and apparatus whereby highlyheated air shall be driven through or forced into the body of oil to be refined, thereby volatiliziug the same and removing the impurities therefrom.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the still, which is of the ordinary construction, having manholes B, B, and O, the lower hole, B, being provided with a cap and clamp, ac.

D denotes a hotblast stove, and E a blowing-engine or high-pressure fan connected by. pipes F G H with the still A. These pipes lead to the stove D, so that the air passing through them can be heated to a very high temperature capable of completely volatilizing the oil.

Within and at the bottom of the still A are placed one or more perforated pipes, I, which are connected to the pipe K, which passes through the upper part of the still and is connected with the pipe H. The perforations in the pipes Iare preferably small and numerous, so as to offer very little resistance to the passage of the air through them, as it is desirable that the air should have as much pressure as possible in order to agitate the body of the oil. To the man hole B is attached, in any suitable manner, a goose-neck, L, which leads into and is connected with the condenser-coil M, this pipe L being of greater diam eter at the point where it is connected to the still A than at its outer end. It is also con structed, as shown, so that there is a gradual fall from the still to the condenser M.

The condenser M may be of box-like form and constructed of wood, metal, or any suitable material, so as to be water-tight. Within the condenser M, and connected at the upper portion thereof with the pipe L, is a coil or suitable arrangement of pipes which constitute the condenser proper. This condenserpipe is connected at its lowest end with the pipe P, which may be connected by several different pi pesfor instance, with a four-way cock-to the several tanks into which the products of the refining process are to be stored. At a short distance from the junction of the pipe P with the condenser is placed a standpipe, B, through which the pipe Ppasses, and within this stand-pipe is placed a pipe, S, which is open at its upper end and connected at its lower end with the pipe P.

At the lower part of the condenser is placed an inlet-pipe, T, and at the upper part of the condenser a like outlet-pipe, U, the pipe T being connected with a water-supply in order that a constant fiow of water may be maintained in and through the tank N, the water flowing in through the inlet T and out through the pipe U.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The oil to be refined is placed in the still or tank A and the pipes H and L properly connected thereto. The hot-blast stove is then started and kept at such a temperature that the air passing through it from the blower to the still will be sufficiently heated to volatilize the oil in the still. The blower E is put into operation and the heated air is forced through the stove and through the oil in the still by means of the pipes G H I K. The action of this heated air being forced through the oil will not alone heat the oil to the same temperature as the air itself, but the passage of the air under pressure will greatly assist the action of the heat in volatilizing the oil. As the oil becomes heated and acted upon by the streams of air passing through it, the lightest or most volatile portions of the oil will vaporize, and in that state will pass from the still by way of the pipe L to the condenser M. The coil or series of condenser-pipes in the condenser being kept at a low temperature by a [low of water passing around them from the inlet T to the outlet-pipe U, the vapor will be condensed and tlow off from the condenser by way of the outlet-pipe P and its connections to the proper tank or reservoir. As the oil in the still becomes more hcated,the heavier portions will pass off in the same way, and, passing through the same steps, will be condensed and led off through the pipe I to their proper reservoirs, it being very easy for the person in charge to distinguish when the dilferent parts are being volatilizcd, and to thus regulate to which reservoir the pipe P is to be connected.

The object of the standpipc R and the pipe S is as follows: The heated air, after passing through the oil in the still, will follow the same path as the refined oil and be carried into the pipe P; but as it is not deemed expedient to allow this air to escape, as it will be highly charged with uncondensed gases from the oil, it may be utilized to burn in the hot-blast stove B or for illuminatingpurposes, and therefore I use the stand-pipe R and pipe S to collect and carry off said gases and air to any desired point. The refined oils pass through the pipe P to their several reservoirs. The air and gases passing through at the same time rise in the pipe S.

As described, the pipe S extends above the level of the highest point of the pipe L, the object being to prevent the oil from rising in it and overflowing from it when the tour-way cock may be closed.

\Vhen the oil in the tank or still A has been completely volatilized by my process and the products (refined oils) condensed and collected,

there will be nothing left in the still A but a tarry residuun which may be readily scraped out through the man-hole. I thus eflect an extremely rapid refining of the crude oil, and have no coke formation on the sheets of the still; consequently the still will last an indefinite time, and its brick support will have no tendency to crumble or fall.

The heat is applied directly to the oil inside the still, and thus a great advantage is obtained over present processes of volatilizing the oil by heating the still externally.

Instead of a blowing-engine or fan, it is obvious an exhaust apparatus might be used to draw the heated air through the oil.

I am aware of the fact that it is not broadly new to mechanically agitate oil during the process of distillation. I am also aware that it is not new to force heated air into or through oil during the distilling operation.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. The process 0!" refining crude oil and utilizing the waste products, which consistsin subjccting said oil to the action of intenselyheated air admitted directly to the body of the oil, thereby volatilizing the latter, then sepa rating the greater portion of the volatilized oil from the air, and finally conducting oil' the air and uncondensed gases to be utilized for heating or illuminating purposes.

2. In the process of refining crude oil, the method of volatilizing and disintegrating the same, which consists in forcing into and through the body of the oil intensely-heated air, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of February, 1886.

ROBERT J. \VILSON.

Vitnesses:

T. J. MQTIGIIE, A. A. MOORE. 

